Tour 2016 - 'Maxy' recalls MCG visit in '85

Paul Miller believes our players will relish the chance to play at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground during our trip Down Under this month.

The legendary former centre-back was part of the Spurs side that toured Australia in 1985, a visit that included an outing at the landmark Melbourne venue, as well as its Sydney namesake.

A keen cricket fan, the two-time FA Cup winner and 1984 UEFA Cup winner particularly appreciated the chance to play on such storied grounds.

And, with our present-day group set to take on Juventus and Atletico Madrid in Melbourne as part of the International Champions Cup in preparation for the 2016-17 season, the now-56-year-old says Mauricio Pochettino’s charges have plenty to look forward to as we head back to that part of the world.

“I hadn’t been to Australia before so it was my first time there and I have to say, the tour was fantastic,” he said as he recalled the 1985 excursion, which saw us play matches against Italian side Udinese, Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama and the Australian national team.

“The nice thing for me, being a cricket fan, is that we played at the MCG and the SCG.

“We had big crowds there, tens of thousands of people, so it was a great turn-out and it’s nice when I watch cricket now to be able to say that I’ve actually played at the MCG and the SCG.

“Australia in general was great, we met a lot of supporters down there, they made us feel very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I’m sure the current team will love it when they go.”